Put a chair in the front of the classroom and name it the ‘hot seat’ the teacher can then ask each student to take a turn in the hot seat.
The student who is in the ‘hot seat’ will pretend they are a historical figure from the unit being studied.
When in the ‘hot seat’ the student should talk, think, and respond like the historical figure they are pretending to be.
The other students will ask the student in the ‘hot seat’ questions.
There are several variations of ‘Hot Seat’:
The teacher may have the students rotate into the ‘hot seat’ every few minutes.
The teacher might give every student a different historical figure from the unit they are studying.
The student in the ‘hot seat’ might keep their assigned identity a secret and the other students will ask questions in order to determine who they are pretending to be.
Pros
Teachers are able to gage students understanding about people and events of unit that is being studied.
The students can study and judge the actions and feelings different historical figures.
Engages students
Promotes full student participation
Encourages students to really think about the persons’ life, what kind of person they were, and events surrounding and affecting that person.
Best used as a review, not an assessment of introduction to a unit.
Cons
May lose the educational value if the strategy is incorporated inappropriately.
Some students may not feel comfortable sitting and speaking in front of the whole class.
If the students do not have a sufficient understanding of the topic this strategy would not be ideal.
Every student may not receive a turn in the ‘hot seat’ in one day (or in one unit).
Hot Seat
What is the ‘Hot Seat’ Strategy?
Pros
Cons